DE BEERS : ROUGH DIAMOND SALES FOR CYCLE 1, 2017

The De Beers Group of Companies today announced the value of rough diamond sales (Global Sightholder Sales and Auction Sales) for the first sales cycle of 2017.

	Cycle 1 2017 (provisional)	Cycle 10 2016 (actual)	Cycle 1 2016
Sales value ($m)	720	422	545

Notes to this table are shown at the bottom of this page.

Bruce Cleaver, CEO, De Beers Group, said: 'We saw good demand across the majority of our assortment during the first sales cycle of the year, as the industry entered the period when rough diamond demand is traditionally strongest. The longer period between the final Sight of 2016 and the first Sight of 2017 also contributed to heightened demand during the cycle.

'While the reopening of some diamond polishing operations in India saw something of an increase in demand for smaller, lower quality rough diamonds, we maintain a cautious outlook for these categories as the Indian industry continues to adjust to the post-demonetisation environment.'

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1 Cycle 1 2017 provisional sales value represents sales as at 23 January 2017.

2 Cycle 10 2016 actual sales value is restated following the earlier publication of a provisional figure for the tenth sales cycle of 2016.

3 Sales values are quoted on a consolidated accounting basis. Auction Sales included in a given cycle are the sum of all sales between the end of the preceding cycle and the end of the noted cycle.

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About The De Beers Group of Companies

De Beers is a member of the Anglo American group. Established in 1888, De Beers is the world's leading diamond company with unrivalled expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers employs more than 20,000 people (directly and as contractors) across the diamond pipeline, and is the world's largest diamond producer by value, with mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. As part of the company's operating philosophy, the people of De Beers are committed to Living up to Diamonds by making a lasting contribution to the communities in which they live and work, and transforming natural resources into shared national wealth. For further information about De Beers visit www.debeersgroup.com.